Past research clearly documents that child surgical patients are at risk for medical and behavioral disturbances. Some past studies claim that psychological presurgical preparation is all children's right and is an important medical goal, while others warn that overpreparation may harm some children. This latter concern may stem from adult studies which demonstrate that adult responses to presurgical preparation are a function of characteristic coping styles, with adults having sensitizer or information seeking coping styles benefiting from preparation and adults having avoiding or denying coping styles reacting poorly to preparation. A small number of recent studies suggest that there may be similar coping styles in children but no data exist on how such coping styles may interact with preparation in children and no data confirm sensitization from preparation with children. The present study will provide a more complete analysis of self-report and behavioral measures of coping styles than past studies, then will assess how different coping styles may result in differing reactions to presurgical preparation. Children from 6-12 years of age will receive one of the following treatments: Attention Placebo, Full Packaged Preparation, and Self-Regulated Preparation. The Full Packaged Preparation will utilize methods which are employed in most pediatric hospitals in the U.S. and will include a puppet model, procedural information and sensory information about each potentially stressful aspect of hospitalization. The Self-Regulated Preparation will employ the same aspects as the Full Packaged Program, except that the information will be presented in stages beginning with the most broad and general information and ending with the most specific and accurate sensory information. Children will choose how much information they wish to hear concerning each potentially stressful procedure. The results from this study will either serve to support those researchers concerned with overpreparation by demonstrating that children who try to avoid or deny stress benefit from minimal information or support those researchers who claim all children benefit from full information. The study will yield important information concerning children's coping styles and their interaction with treatment, as well as producing a maximally effective presurgical preparation program.